Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for August 08, 2009

You have a point there, Calvin….

May be they are tense because they created Calvin.

Some adults work so much, they can’t calm down and enjoy their free time.

Morning everyone.

Recreating is tiring and time consuming. don’t bother me. I’m stressed from recreating.

And you don’t get tense Calvin? Hmmm.

To rais children and to do a good job is very hard work!

High-functioning Asperger’s: intelligent, imaginative, oblivious to social cues….

…and he’s an ENFP to boot. Hm, no wonder he reminds me of myself.

(I likely had undiagnosed high-functioning Asperger’s Syndrome as a child. My nephew likewise has high-functioning Asperger’s Syndrome, but he’s not a Calvin. His different personality type affects the expression.)

Calvin, the reason they’re tense is because a Major Irritant won’t let them relax. (At least you’re finally going off on your own with Hobbes today.)

Calvin is only 6 years old…come on Mom and Dad you wanted a FAMILY trip….

And these same parents will wonder why, when Cal is a teenager he isn’t open with them and sharing all the things going on in his life. We reap what we sow.

It’s just “family dynamics” in progress.,,,,which is why we all relate to Calvin. We don’t know how to raise children until after we’ve done it. Calvin will have the same problem…….wish I could see that comic strip in the future!

Harry Chapin - Cat’s in the Cradle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH46SmVv8SU

Jeez - I wonder why they’re so tense!

My God! How serious can people be?

This why they take vacations.

do they make “Calvin OFF” spray?

Buy a can of Calvin be gone…and the stress will just melt away.

Why isn’t Calvin playing Space Man Spiff instead of annoying his parents anyway?

They’re both too busy to spend time with him so he will have to find something to do on his own with Hobbes. Then he will get in trouble but they’ll only have themselves to blame for not paying attention to him.

Anyone who doesn’t understand why they are tense does not have children of his own. As much as we love them, there are times when being a parent is rather like being pecked to death very slowly. It makes us crabby. (I haven’t read a paragraph in a novel without interruption for ten years. I was interrupted three times before finishing this parenthetical aside.)

So we watch and wait because some day there will be the easily embarrassed teenager and revenge is sweeeet.

understood that being a parent must be obnoxious at times and being interrupted can be a big pain, but then why did they go on a family trip together? Aren’t family trips meant for spending time together? But sure, I guess not ALL their time.

Talk about a couple of grumps. Calvin, you might as well get Hobbes and begin a great adventure, one that will involve both parents searching for hours to find you.

and THAT is why calvin talks to a stuffed animal

I always listened to my boys when they were kids. I think that’s why they listen to me now that they are adults.

recreation –noun

the act of re-creating. something created anew.

I never thought of recreation in those terms before. Reading comics is very edjucational.

Does this mean the procreation of Calvin requires reccreation?

Marty241 said,

I always listened to my boys when they were kids. I think that’s why they listen to me now that they are adults.

Good Comment!

I worked hard when I was young and loved the time I got with my kids when I was home… my wife used to exclaim she never knew who enjoyed playing more, me or the kids. Now when he takes his kids to amusement or water parks… he always calls me to see if i want to go.

This is one time Calvin’s parents blew it… they brought a kid who didn’t want to go now they need to occupy his time. and show him how much fun camping can be… like they said it would be.

Oh, yeah.

Aspberger’s?? More like ADHD. Of course, when I was a kid, we would just call him hyper. And what ever you do, don’t give him sugar.

SAD

In that last frame Hobbes looks taller

Wy do we always have to attach a label to things? not every child has aspbergers and not every child has ADHD. There really are children who are very smart and have overactive imaginations. These children require a lot of parental attention to keep them from finding ways to “amuse” themselves. Everyone wants a diagnosis so that they can put their child on drugs.

Look at this situation. Since the boat trip to where they are currently, there has been no interaction between the parents and Calvin as a family unit. They can relax after Calvin is asleep. They need to be keeping him entertained during the day. There needs to be some family interaction here. Maybe each of the parents could take Calvin for a day so the other could have some time off, but on most family vacations there is interaction between parents and children.

Well, I don’t recall Calvin doing anything for them to want him to be with them. He’s responsible for dropping the camara and other stuff into the drink, indirectly respnsible for his father breaking his glasses and when Dad takes him fishing he does his Spiff thing. If all he’s going to do is complain, then leave him to entertain himself.

When I was a kid, they didn’t call it ADHD or hyper. They called it “brat.” Now brat is cute! It’s all Calvin’s fault.

Sissy had three boys. While their language skills lagged behind Calvin’s, there were enough simillarities in behavior to make me think Calvin is pretty much just a normal, active boy from a time when you could go out into the neighborhood and amuse yourself. After all, there were only three channels on TV, NO cell phones, NO internet or computer games, abductions were much less common, and parents didn’t hesitate to tell you to “go outside and play”. As long as the law or a neighbor didn’t show up all irritated they were satisfied. Cuts, scrapes and bruises were the norm. Broken bones and gushing blood would get attention. I knew a woman who got her butt whupped for putting a dead rattlesnake in a mailbox with it’s head tied to the flap by a string. Nearly got her familly’s mail delivery suspended when that baby popped out at the mailman.

He needs a brother - but then we wouldn’t have Hobbes

They need a vacation from Calvin.

But then, you must admit Calvin wanted to stay home and they made him come. So whose fault is it?

What would have worked well is a Friend, his age. They would occupy each others time, and so the folks could have a little down time, as I sense that they are nearly to the bottom of their repertoire. Some people, poor ones, and middle class, have to take their children with them, on their one vacation a year, and they get no breaks, because of limited income or not enough extended family to help out. Some are luckier, but this wouldn’t be funny if it was written about any other kind of family. Calvin made his own fun!

A friend Calvin’s age? Nice work if he could get it. :)

Calvin with a brother ??? I can just imagine a very unlikely duo then. Calvin tutoring his younger “pad-a-wan” … do as the force tells you younger Calvin. “I think I shall shred thy stuffed tiger.”… NO! You must not!

That “stuffed tiger” IS Calvin’s friend/brother.

Maybe I haven’t been reading this comic long enough. Does Calvin’s parents ever go out together? My parents used to leave me a Friday or Saturday night or both, with either sets of grandparents, so they got a break once a month. I loved that special time I could spend with my grandparents. They must have friends of their own that could help out if their family doesn’t live nearby. Even a couple hours for dinner or a movie or such helped me and my husband.